Sausage Reubens aka 5 Finger Banjo Picker Sandwich

Sausage Reubens, a sandwich spread with Creole mustard and made with grilled or pan-fried sausage and onions, topped with sauerkraut, sliced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and white cheese, patterned after the 5 Finger Banjo Picker Sandwich from a Decatur, Alabama tavern known by locals as The Brick.

Sausage Reubens

Here's the sandwich I promised you with the last post on how I dress up store-bought sauerkraut and boy y'all is it a good one!

We eat sandwiches for supper all the time, sometimes with a side of chips, sweet potato fries or French fries, sometimes a bowl of soup or a side salad. Thank goodness it qualifies for a meal around here because we've been eating a lot of sandwiches this past summer, and a lot of them have been made in a microwave grill pan.

A dressed-up sauerkraut dish, made from commercially bagged or canned sauerkraut, adding in some bacon and bacon drippings, brown sugar or honey, and a few simple seasonings. Perfect for sandwiches or in a sausage and potatoes skillet meal.

Dressed Up Sauerkraut

Oh dear. I know that some of y'all are thinking... "a sauerkraut recipe?" Well, first it's not really a recipe.

Making sauerkraut takes about a two week commitment and a lot of tending to with skimming and such. Too long for me and I don't like it enough for that kind of investment - but, what I will do, is take an off the shelf commercial product and dress it up a bit!

I'll be right up front with ya though. While some folks love the stuff, I've never been a super big fan of sauerkraut. As with many other southerners, while I do love the flavor combination of sweet and sour, whether in the refrigerator packages or cans, commercially prepared sauerkraut right off the grocery store shelf is just too weird for my tastebuds. Still... I sure do enjoy it on a classic Reuben sandwich. Shaved corned beef dressed with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on toasted Rye bread - it's downright delicious.

Spanish Rice - a side dish made with bacon, rice, tomatoes, the Trinity of veggies and a few simple seasonings.

Spanish Rice

With some variations in cooking method - stovetop, oven or a combination of both - and ingredients - tomatoes versus sauces, pastes or purees - that, which is defined as Spanish Rice across much of the country, is quite similar to Red Rice from the Lowcountry and the base of our beloved Creole Jambalaya of the Deep South.